Humidifier



' July 21, 1936. c, A, MCELVAIN 2,048.017

HUMIDIFIER Filed March 9, 1935 INVENTOR jig ZMVQMM r432 mwwmz Patented July 21, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE HUMIDIFIER Charles A. McElvain, Butler, Pa.

Application March 9,

V -3 Claims.

My invention relates to humidifying and airconditioning devices, and is of a type that is particularly suitable for use in homes, oiiices, and the like, although various features thereof render it suitable also for use in relatively large systems. Broadly stated, my invention is directed to that class of apparatus wherein a fan or blower is employed to draw air past screening and spraying devices where air is discharged into a room' and 10 may be drawn either from out-of-doors or from within the room where the air is being conditloned.

One object of my invention is to provide apparatus of such form that water will be sprayed into the path of the air at a predetermined rate, irrespective 'of changes in volume of water at the source of supply.

Another object of my invention is to provide means for varying the extent to which the air is humidified, without the necessity of changing the rate of water supply.

A further object of my invention is to provide a generally simplified and improved form of hu'-- midifying apparatus.

One form which my invention may take is shown in the accompanying drawing wherein Figure 1 is a sectional plan view; Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view, and Fig. 3 is a view taken on the line'III-IIlI of Fig. 2.

The apparatus is shown as mounted in a housing l which may suitably be of rectangular form, and of dimension to rest upon an ordinary steam or hot-water radiator. The housing is provided with a lid or cover 5 and has air inlets at its ends over which are placed replaceable screens or illters 6 and 1 respectively, for removing the dust particles and pollen from the air which is drawn into the housing.

An outlet opening is provided in the-top of the housing, and this opening may be covered by a protecting screen 8. It will be understood that heating or cooling coils could also be mounted at the discharge opening,'to change the temperature or humidification of the air discharged from the 45 housing. I v

A water reservoir .l is positioned in the bottom of the housing 4 and is supplied with water from time to time in any suitable manner. A partition plate I I is mounted above the reservoir and partially covers the same. A fan casing I2 is secured to the housing 4, and is provided with eyes or air inlet openings l3 and It, the casing being open at its upper side for discharge past the screen 8. A partition plate l2a divides the eas- 55 ing into compartments. A centrifugal fan or 1935, Serial No. 10,289 (Cl. 261-90) blower I5 is positioned in each compartment of the casing l2 and is mounted on a shaft I6. Near one of its ends, the shaft is supported in a hearing I! that is carried by a strut l8. At its other end, the shaft is mounted in'a bearing that is carried 5 by a bracket l9, which bracket also supports a motor 2|.

The outer end of the shaft It carries a spray disc 22 that has an annularly-formed channel 23 provided with spray openings that will discharge water radially, in the form of a fine mist or spray, when the motor 2| is being driven.

A belt drive 24 transmits power from the motor shaft to the shaft l6, and the shaft I6 is rotated quite rapidly. The shaft I6 carries a worm 25 that has driving connection with a worm gear 26, which through beveled gearing 21, drives a shaft 28. The shaft 28, through a belt 29, drives,

a shaft 30. The worm gear reduction is such that the shaft 30 is driven quite slowly relative to the motor speed. An elevator or cup carrier 3| is secured to the shaft 30 and is provided with cups 32 which move through the tank II) when the shaft 30 is driven.

The cups in passing through the tank In 001- leot water, and, at their uppermost positions, discharge into a trough 33 which has a spout that directs the water into the, trough 23. The rate of rotation of the carrier 3| is sufhciently slow to permit the cups to collect water in passing through the tank, and to become emptied when passing through their upper positions. It will be seen that with the shaft 30 turning at a given rate of speed,

a predetermined quantity of water will be delivered to the spray device 22, regardless of changes 35 in water depth within the tank Ill.

Baifle plates 35 are provided which while permitting the entry of air into the housing 5, will prevent water from being thrown through the end of the casing. A'second set of baflie plates 36 are 40 provided between the spray 22 and the motor housing I2, so as to catch drops of water that would otherwise be carried along by the air and be discharged from the housing-into the room.

Air may enter from either endof the housing 4, and be drawn through the openin s l3 and ML into the fan casing. Air may flow in {either direction 'past the portion 38 of the casing, and drawn into either of the openings l3l4 and discharged from the fan casing and through the discharge so opening 8. 1

All or a portion of the air which is drawn through the screen 6 may be caused to pass through the tank In, and take up moisture not only from the surface of the water in the tank, 66

but will be passed through the spray that is charged by the disc 22. Control of direction of flow at this end of the housing is eiiected by a damper or valve ll that is rigidly connected to a pintle or shaft 42 having a knob 43 by which the shattis turned to raise and lower the damper ll. It could also be operated automatically by a humidistat or electrically controlled by a 'moisture-registering device. It will be seen that when the damper is in its lowermost or closed position, as indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 2, all of the air which enters at 6 will pass directly into the fan casing, while if the damper is raised to its uppermost position, all 01' such air will be bypassed through the water tank and the water spray.

- The damper is, or. course, set at various positions inaccordance with the humidity desired in the air which is discharged from the housing.

A The damper carries a pair of spring-pressed pawls or dogs 44 which are moved into interlocking engagement with recesses in plates 45 that are secured to the sides 01' the tank, so that the damper will be yieldably maintained at its various,

I claim as my inventionze- 1. A humidiflercomprising a housing, a motor mounted in the housing adjacent to one end thereof, a blower positioned between the motor and the other end or the housing, each or the said the housing being provided with an air'outlet 10 leading from the blower, a water reservoir,-a spray device disposed intermediate the blower and the second-named end of the housing, means iorsupplying the water from the reservoir to the spray device, and means for directing past the said spray device desired portions oi. air which enter at the first-named end of the housing.

3. A humidifier comprising a housing having inlet and outlet openings, a water reservoir, meansior causing flow of air through said openings, a spray device positioned in the path of air flow comprising a'rotatable member having a peripherally-disposed channel provided with spray openings, a trough extending transversely of the axis of said member and having a laterally extending 5 spout positioned adjacent to said channel and arranged to discharge into the same, and a cup carrier movable through the reservoir to receive-the water and through a path extending above and longitudinally of the trough to discharge the re- 30 ceived water into said trough- CHARLES A. MOELVAIN'. 

